The Hartford Courant newspaper's lifestyle section just featured a nice trip report about Solair Recreation League, a nudist camp ground in Connecticut.

The author, Joann Klimkiewicz, visited Solair with her sister. Both around 30 years old, they left with a fairly positive impression of the resort. The sister's collectively had experience with being in clothing optional environments (Europe and some US topless beaches) so the article was more insightful, I think, than the more common "first timer" article.

As compared to some one-sided articles by authors who have only read about nudism, this author showed dedication by taking the plunge and then writing a well-rounded and fair account of the experience.

Read the full story here

My impression of Solair
Personally, I like Solair overall, having visited once and also being in the same "around 30" age group as the sisters above. When my wife and I visited, it was a lively summer Saturday last year. Besides people gathered at the pool, hot tub and lake, the sand volleyball court was active.

The library was empty, but who wants to read books inside on a nice day!

Solair had an event that day that I've never imagined ever seeing: a cooking demonstration in the nude. Think Emeril live, but scaled down and on a picnic table in a gazebo in a nudist resort. The woman's presentation was actually very good and educational.

I think Solair's hot tub and pool are average but nice. I prefer deep pools over volleyball depth pools, but that's just me. The lake is a uncommon feature and had a platform in the middle that you could swim to while skinnydipping. The grounds are really nice, comparable to Sunny Rest Lodge, a nudist resort in eastern PA that I'll be doing a trip report about soon.

I wish that there wasn't a pricey annual membership fee (after 4 visits) at Solair - otherwise I'd be back more often. The Courant author refers to it too:

• "Solair, for example, charges $25 for a first-time visit and $500 for an annual membership. For the under-40 set, that drops to $17.50 for a first-timer, and $300 for the year."

I realize Solair's needs to run a business and the quality of the camp ground shows they are making some good decisions, so I cannot really knock them for it. In fact, it may be the glue that holds Solair together and helps make it what it is. We felt really safe and comfortable there and it is one of the most family-friendly places I've ever visited and that is a good thing for nude recreation.

So there you have it, a newspaper author endorses Solair. I think it's a nice place too. And if you search the forums on nudist-resorts.org, you'll also hear good opinions of Solair.

My wife and I just returned from an adventurous weekend at 2 of the biggest nudist resorts in North America: Paradise Lakes Nudist Resort and Caliente Nudist Resort.

They are in an area north of Tampa, Florida I call the “Florida Nudist Corridor” with Paradise Lakes and Lake Como Family Nudist Resort next to each other and Caliente Nudist Resort just 4 miles north. All are about 30 minutes from Tampa Airport. All are important in American nudist history and to the people who experience them.

I met one nudist gentleman, nearing retirement, who was fortunate enough to live nearby. He recalled frequenting Lake Como Nudist Resort in his younger years. The resort opened in the 1950s and was one of the biggest nudist facilities in its day. Due to life events, he took a break from social nude recreation years ago when a place called Paradise Lakes was only an idea waiting to open in 1981.

He soon grew to miss the nudist experience. He was re-married more recently and broached the subject of nude recreation with his new wife. She said she'd try it and now they enjoy nude recreation together, making their own nudist history.

He and his new wife have a membership at Paradise Lakes and visit other resorts frequently, including Caliente Nudist Resort, opened in 2004, where I conversed with the gentleman a few days ago.

For my wife and I, this was our second time at Paradise Lakes and first at Caliente. Our first time at the Paradise Lakes was only a handful of years ago and it was our first time visiting a nudist resort.

Over the next several days, I'll be recounting our story, our experiences at these two Florida Nudist Corridor nudist resorts.

I'll look at what to expect, how much to pay, what to do when the weather is great, and how to make the best of rainy weather that rains out a big event. (In our case, the event was Caliente's Bare Bods and Hot Rods Car Show which has been rescheduled for April 29th.)

Reader opinions might be heard too to expand upon my limited experience.

You want to be naked in the great outdoors. You want to visit a clothes-free resort or do a nude cruise. Or maybe you want to spend a weekend at a good nude beach.

But, alas, you have no money. Read on and you'll find some.

OK, lets look at a rewarding way to find money for getting naked.

Finding money starts with managing money. No, managing money is not an exciting topic. Some people would rather eat anchovies for a week than talk about money.

All it takes is 3 minutes a day. AND, the reward is great if you like nude recreation.

You will be a happier nudist in the long run through the financial freedom gained by taking this first step.

The first step is to understand your budget, to understand what you have and who gets it.

Finding out is easy.

(photo courtesy of aanr.com)

Get a little pocket-sized notepad. In the very last page, write down some of the nude resorts, nude cruises and nude beaches you want to experience someday. A few have been mentioned in my previous posts here on Nudist Travel Guide Blog or try the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) for a good list of North America destinations.

Now, put the notepad wherever you keep your keys. At the end of each day, when you turn in your keys, write down what you spent that day.

Gas - $15
Coffee - $4
Lunch - $10
Snacks - $2

Easy.

Not so fast. Give yourself a little reward. Keep some gum by your new notepad. To get the gum, you must make your entries in the notepad. If you spend nothing all day, you can have 2 pieces. No cheating.

Challenge yourself to 10 days of writing everything down. After that, challenge yourself to another 20 days. That will give you 30 days of numbers to work with.

Then, look at the numbers, slowly, and start asking questions:

Are you spending money needlessly every week? How much are you spending on food and drinks? Could you spend less? What about entertainment?

Say you spent $4 on coffee, $10 on breakfast or lunch and $2 on snacks 200 times a year. Multiply $16 by 200. That's $3,200 a year!!! If you brownbag your lunch, buy snacks in bulk, and make cheaper coffee, you could get that down to a little over a thousand, freeing up enough money for nude recreation.

Is there anything else you can cut out or cut down? What changes do you have to make to afford your nude travel goals in the back of the notepad?

Could you buy cheaper shoes? Less electronics? Less books? Would you give up movie theaters for nude recreation? Spend less on weekends? Could you buy non-perishable groceries in bulk? Do you use coupons to save money when grocery shopping? Could you get a cheaper cell phone plan?

How much money did you give to credit card companies this month in the form of interest? Is that money better spent being naked? Could you cut out other things to get credit card debt down? Could you transfer your balance to a 0% or low interest credit card? Most of the major credit card companies have balance transfer offers for new customers whether nudist or not. Find yourself a new credit card company.

That wasn't so hard, was it? Worth the effort? Definitely.

Do this exercise. Repeat it. Get yourself to the places you listed in the back of your notepad. I am.